Abstract:

The finite element analysis method (FEM), for its advantages of lower time and economic costing in predicting the mechanical properties of fabrics, was applied to warp-knitted fabrics. In this paper,  two bar warp-knitted fabric knitted with wires was used as reflecting mesh antennas. Firstly the loop unit of the metallic warp-knitted fabric was simulated in 3-D by TexGen software. Secondly the 3-D loop unit model was inputted into ABAQUS software to form a model of the metallic warp-knitted fabric sheet for uni-axial tension analysis. Thirdly numerical results were obtained after setting the parameters in ABAQUS. Finally numerical results were verified by uni-axial tensile experiments on the metallic warp-knitted fabric. The results showed that the simulation was in good agreement with the experimental tensile process, where the transfer of yarns between loops when in low fabric elongation and in yarn elongation when in high fabric elongation were simulated by FEM of warp-knitted fabric in the tensile process. Also the same trend of tensile force was found in experiment and FEM results. Therefore it can be concluded that  FEM can be used to predict the mechanical properties of warp-knitted fabric with a complex structure.